Lilliwood seemed relieved once she had heard the full story. After we chatted for a while longer, she mentioned that she had work to attend to. She offered a polite farewell to Isis and me before vanishing via teleportation magic.
With her gone, it was just the two of us left in the room. Isis sat there with her eyes sparkling in anticipation as she looked at me. She had heard my conversation with Lilliwood, so she already knew that I had prepared a handmade accessory for her as well.
"Well, anyway... I made this for you, Isis. I’d like you to have it."
"……Kaito…… thank you…… I’m so happy…… May I open it?"
"Of course."
"……Ah…… this is……"
The gift I had made for her was a brooch. Blue was her signature color, and since there were gems like Ice Crystals and Blue Diamonds that shared a deep connection with her, I felt those were the only logical choices to use.
"I actually considered making earrings at first, but with my current skill level, I couldn't get the shape right unless the piece was a certain size. That’s why I ended up settling on a brooch."
"……Beautiful…… A Blue Crystal Flower."
"Yeah. When I thought about what represented you best, that flower was the first thing that came to mind, so I tried to recreate it."
To me, Isis was synonymous with the Blue Crystal Flower, so deciding on the motif had been easy. However, carving out the petals had proven quite difficult; I simply couldn't get the form right on a smaller scale, which was why I had pivoted to the brooch design.
In terms of actual hours spent, hers had taken the longest to finish, but the final result was proportionately satisfying.
"……I’m so happy…… The gift is wonderful, of course…… but more than anything…… the fact that you thought of me…… and worked so hard…… makes me the happiest of all."
"If it makes you that happy, then all the effort was worth it."
Seeing the heartfelt joy on her face and the tears shimmering in her eyes made all the struggles I’d faced during the crafting process feel trivial.
As I basked in that sense of accomplishment, Isis rose from her chair and stepped toward me. She reached out and gently pulled my head against her chest, wrapping me in a tender embrace.
The soft, pillowy sensation and her pleasant scent, combined with the slightly cool touch of her hands, filled me with an indescribable sense of bliss.
"……I don’t know what to do…… I’m so happy…… I don’t know…… how to express it…… My love for you is just…… overflowing."
"Seeing you this happy makes me feel pretty lucky too."
As I spoke, I reached around and hugged her back. It was a bit of a novel position for us. Since I was still seated while she held my head, my face was level with her chest. I was essentially hugging her from below.
Aside from the blissful sensation against my face, it was rare for me to be looking up at her like this, given our usual height difference.
She gazed down at me, her eyes narrowed with affection. Her expression was strikingly beautiful—radiating a sense of maternal warmth and devotion even more intense than usual.
"……Kaito…… I love you."
Her voice was sweet enough to melt my heart. As she slowly lowered her face toward mine, I shifted slightly in my chair to meet her halfway. Perhaps because of the unusual angle, the kiss we shared felt remarkably fresh.
As our lips pressed together, Isis continued to stroke my head with a gentle touch. Enveloped by her warmth from every direction, I felt a level of contentment that was almost frighteningly addictive. It was a truly, deeply happy moment.
Sugar (Serious-senpai): "……It’s fine…… This is a fatal wound."